Underseat bookrack



June 1956 B. E. RZMKUS 2,748,841

UNDERSEAT BOOKRACK Filed Feb. 17, 1955 2 SheetSSheet l INVENTOR Ker/10M 671K114 ATTORNEY WITNESS United States UNDERSEAT BOOKRACK Application February 17, 1955, Serial No. 488,845

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-188) The present invention relates to an underseat bookrack, and more particularly to a bookrack adapted for attachment to the underside of a church pew, for the reception of hymnals, prayer books and the like.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide such an underseat bookrack which is simple in construction and easy to install beneath an upholstered pew of the type disclosed in pending application Serial No. 440,316, filed June 30, 1954, by Alfred C. Hoven and Walter E. Nordmark and by them assigned to my assignee.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a church pew having installed beneath the seat thereof a pair of underseat bookracks embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of parts of the same shown partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the bookrack attachment per se;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the same; and

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the same.

Referring now in detail to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the church pew shown in Figures 1 and 2 generally comprises supporting end standards to which are secured an upholstered back 11 and an upholstered seat 12 by any suitable means (not shown). The upholstered seat 12 is built upon a rigid steel frame which includes a front frame bar 13 extending rearwardly and then upwardly from the body of the frame and a rear frame bar 14 extending forwardly and then upwardly from the body of the frame (see Figure 2) The bookrack of the present invention is fabricated of springable steel rod stock. It comprises laterally spaced parallel rods 15, here shown as three in number, having hooks 16 at their rearward ends adapted to hook over and engage the top of the rear frame bar 14. These rods 15 extend from the rear hooks 16 downwardly and thence forwardly to form book-supporting body portions 17, and thence forwardly-upwardly at 18 and then rearwardly, again upwardly and again forwardly to form front hooks 19 adapted to springably engage the top and the bottom of the front frame bar 13.

Laterally extending cross-rods 20 connect the laterally spaced parallel rods 15, being secured to the undersides thereof at intersections as by means of welding. The opposite ends of these cross-rods 20 are turned upwardly as at 21, adjacent the outside rods 15, to form book stops at the sides of the bookrack.

A U-shaped rod 22 is disposed between each pair of parallel rods 15 and has book-supporting leg portions 23 iii between and parallel to the book-supporting body portions 17 of the parallel rods 15. These leg portions 23 of the U-shaped rods 22 pass over the cross-rods 20 and are likewise secured thereto as by means of welding. The leg portions 23 extend upwardly at 24, thence rearwardlyupwardly at 25 and terminate in the bight portion 26 of each Urshaped rod 22, which bight portion 26 is adapted to springably engage the bottom of the rear frame bar 14.

The bookrack may be installed underneath the church pew as indicated in Figure 2, i. e. by first engaging the seats rear frame bar 14 between the upper rearward hooks 16 on the parallel rods 15 and the lower rearward bight portions 26 of the U-shaped rods 22, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2, and then swinging the front of the bookrack upwardly until the front hooks 19 on the parallel bars 15 springably engage the seats front frame bar 13. The bookrack is then securely attached to the underside of the pew seat where it is conveniently accessible from the front for the placement or removal of books.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides an underseat bookrack of simple and sturdy construction which is easy to install and convenient to use, and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a seat having a rigid frame comprising bars extending across the underside of the seat at its front and rear, a bookrack comprising: laterally spaced parallel rods of springable rod stock having hooks at their rearward ends engaging the top of the rear frame bar, said rods extending from said rear hooks downwardly and thence forwardly to form book-supporting body portions, and thence upwardly, rearwardly, again upwardly and then forwardly to form front hooks engaging the top and the bottom of the front frame bar; and laterally extending cross-rods connecting the body portions of said laterally spaced parallel rods.

2. In combination with a seat having a rigid frame comprising bars extending across the underside of the seat at its front and rear, a bookrack comprising: laterally spaced parallel rods of springable rod stock having hooks at their rearward ends engaging the top of the rear frame bar, said rods extending from said rear hooks downwardly and thence forwardly to form book-supporting body portions, and thence upwardly and terminating in front hooks engaging the top of the front frame bar; laterally extend ing cross-rods connecting the body portions of said laterally spaced parallel rods; and a U-shaped rod of springable rod stock having book-supporting leg portions between and parallel to the book-supporting body portions of the laterally spaced parallel rods and secured to the laterally extending cross-rods, said leg portions extending upwardly-rearwardly and terminating in the U-shaped rods bight portion adapted to engage the bottom of the rear frame bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

